"In some cases it was fast and furious rains that were to blame; in others it was a mix of rainfall and snowmelt. Add an urban landscape with little capacity to absorb the aftermath and you have all the key ingredients for an ominous overflow."

A seemingly never-ending winter in the Prairies and Atlantic Canada as well as a sunny and rain-free July in B.C. are other noteworthy weather events that happened in 2013.